Director, marketing

Roadrunner is the most tech-forward company in LTL. We built a proprietary Smart Network™ that delivers fewer touches, faster transit, real-time visibility, and real accountability. Our opportunity now is to make the strength of that story visible everywhere, to customers, drivers owner-operators, employees, prospective talent, and the market. We are looking for a Director of Marketing to lead how Roadrunner shows up, inside and outside the company. This is much broader than traditional B2B marketing. You will own the strategy and execution across marketing initiatives to contribute to driver recruiting, driver engagement, internal engagement, customer outreach, talent acquisition marketing. You will lead the marketing team, partner directly with senior leadership, HR, Recruiting, Sales and Operations, and build a marketing organization that moves quickly, measures what matters, and understands that different audiences require omni channel strategies, but one powerful Roadrunner brand. This is a leadership role for someone who can think at 30,000 feet and still knows how to get things done.

What you’ll do

1. Marketing Strategy & Brand Leadership Own how Roadrunner shows up and make every audience understand why we are different. Lead Roadrunner’s overall marketing and communications strategy across customers, drivers, employees, prospective employees, and the broader market. Protect and evolve Roadrunner’s brand positioning, voice, visual identity, and messaging across every channel and touchpoint. Translate Roadrunner’s Smart Network™, technology, service model, culture, and owner-operator opportunity into compelling stories people remember. Build integrated marketing plans tied to clear business priorities rather than disconnected campaigns and activities. Serve as a strategic marketing partner to executive leadership and bring strong recommendations, not simply execute requests. Ensure every Roadrunner communication reinforces a consistent, differentiated brand.
2. Driver Recruiting Marketing Owner-operators are the engine of our network. Build the marketing engine that attracts them. Lead the marketing strategy supporting Roadrunner’s recruitment of linehaul solos, teams and local owner-operators. Develop integrated driver acquisition campaigns across social media, paid digital, email, SMS, referral, re-engagement, events, content and other channels. Partner closely with Driver Recruiting to understand capacity needs by market and translate them into targeted campaigns. Build compelling messaging around the Roadrunner owner-operator value proposition and what makes running with Roadrunner different. Measure lead generation, source quality, conversion and cost effectiveness—not simply impressions and clicks. Continuously test creative, audiences, offers and channels and move investment toward what produces qualified owner-operators.
3. Driver Engagement & Retention Recruiting the right drivers matters. Keeping them engaged matters just as much. Build a year-round owner-operator engagement strategy that strengthens connection, loyalty and pride in Roadrunner. Lead programs including Driver Roundtables, Haul Stars ambassadors, driver recognition, appreciation initiatives, testimonials, events and ongoing communications. Create opportunities for drivers to have a voice and for Roadrunner leadership to listen, respond and stay connected. Partner with Operations and Recruiting on communications supporting retention, reactivation and owner-operator experience. Turn great Roadrunner drivers into authentic ambassadors for the company. Build storytelling around the people behind the network, not just the trucks and freight.
4. Internal Communications & Employee Engagement Great brands are built from the inside first. Own Roadrunner’s internal communications strategy and calendar. Lead company newsletters, leadership communications, Town Halls, employee announcements, recognition programs and culture campaigns. Develop communications that help employees understand where Roadrunner is going, why it matters and how their work contributes. Partner with HR and leadership on initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, recognition and retention. Build communications around Roadrunner’s values: We Run Safe. We Run Smart. We Run Together. Create a consistent rhythm of communication so employees feel informed, connected and part of what Roadrunner is building.
5. Multi-Channel Marketing & Customer Communications Be where our audiences are—and give them a reason to pay attention. Own Roadrunner’s marketing channels across social media, email, digital campaigns, web, content and emerging platforms. Own and optimize paid digital acquisition across Google Ads and Meta/Facebook Ads, including audience strategy, campaign setup, testing, budget allocation and performance optimization. Use Google Analytics to understand traffic, user behavior, conversion paths and campaign performance, translating data into clear actions and smarter marketing decisions. Oversee Roadrunner’s WordPress website, including content updates, landing pages, campaign experiences, basic site management and coordination with technical partners when deeper development is required. Develop segmented email strategies for existing customers, prospects, owner-operators, employees and talent. Lead Roadrunner’s social media presence, particularly LinkedIn, while developing the appropriate strategy for driver-focused and recruiting channels. Partner with Sales on campaigns that support customer acquisition, account growth and strategic commercial priorities. Build customer communications that reinforce Roadrunner’s service differentiation, technology and Smart Network™. Establish clear channel KPIs and use performance data to continuously improve engagement and business results.
6. Talent Acquisition Marketing Help Roadrunner compete for great people—not just great freight. Partner with Human Resources and Talent Acquisition to position Roadrunner as an employer of choice. Develop employer-brand campaigns and recruiting content for corporate, operational, sales and other critical roles. Strengthen Roadrunner’s presence across LinkedIn, recruiting platforms, social channels and employee storytelling. Build authentic content featuring employees, leaders, culture and career opportunities. Ensure the candidate-facing Roadrunner brand is as compelling and professional as the customer-facing brand. Support recruiting campaigns for difficult-to-fill or strategically important positions.
7. Content, Storytelling & Corporate Communications Find the stories worth telling. Then tell them exceptionally well. Lead the development of compelling content across customer stories, owner-operator testimonials, employee stories, videos, executive communications, presentations, digital content and thought leadership. Turn complex transportation, technology and operational concepts into clear, human and persuasive communications. Develop executive and leadership communications when the message or moment matters. Create a disciplined content calendar that balances commercial, recruiting, culture, driver and corporate priorities. Ensure content is created with purpose and distributed strategically—not created simply to fill channels.
8. Lead & Build the Marketing Team Set a high bar. Give people ownership. Build a team that delivers. Lead, coach and develop Roadrunner’s marketing team. Establish clear roles, priorities, accountability and performance expectations. Build a culture of creativity, urgency, collaboration and measurable execution. Prioritize work based on business impact and protect the team from low-value activity. Manage agencies, freelancers, technology platforms and external partners where appropriate. Develop processes and systems that allow a lean team to operate at a much larger scale. Use AI and automation intelligently to accelerate content creation, campaign execution, analytics and marketing operations.

What you bring

8+ years of progressive marketing experience, including meaningful leadership responsibility. Demonstrated experience leading an integrated marketing function across multiple audiences, channels and priorities. Strong experience with digital marketing, social media, email marketing, content, brand management and integrated campaigns. Hands-on proficiency with Google Analytics and Google Ads. You can read the data, evaluate campaign performance and make informed optimization decisions. Hands-on experience managing Meta/Facebook Ads, including targeting, creative testing, lead-generation campaigns and performance optimization. Working knowledge of WordPress website management, with the ability to manage content, pages, landing pages and day-to-day website needs without relying on a developer for every change. Strong practical use of AI tools to improve productivity, accelerate content and campaign development, analyze information, automate repeatable work and help a lean marketing team accomplish more. A creative campaign mindset. You genuinely enjoy ideation and can turn business objectives into distinctive concepts, messaging and multi-channel campaigns that get attention and drive action. Proven ability to develop campaigns that drive measurable acquisition, engagement or retention outcomes. Experience leading and developing a high-performing marketing team. Exceptional writing, communication and storytelling skills. Strong understanding of performance marketing, segmentation, analytics and marketing automation. Experience partnering directly with senior executives and cross-functional leaders. Ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives in a fast-moving environment without losing attention to detail. High comfort with AI-enabled marketing tools and a track record of using AI to improve individual and team productivity without sacrificing quality, judgment or brand voice. Strong business judgment—you understand that marketing exists to create measurable value for the organization. Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Strongly preferred:

Experience in transportation, logistics, trucking, industrial services or another complex B2B environment.

Highly valuable:

Experience with driver recruitment marketing, frontline workforce engagement, employer branding, internal communications, or marketing to distributed/non-desk audiences.

How you operate

You think enterprise-wide. You understand that marketing touches customers, drivers, employees, candidates and investors in the brand. You lead and execute. Strategy without execution does not interest you. You know audiences are different. A prospective owner-operator should not be marketed to like a shipper or a corporate candidate. You use data. You want to know what worked, what didn’t and what should change. You create clarity. You can take a complicated idea and turn it into a message people understand immediately. You move fast. You are comfortable making decisions, testing ideas and adjusting. You love the creative side of marketing. You enjoy developing fresh campaign concepts, testing new ideas and finding unexpected ways to make Roadrunner stand out. You raise the standard. Good enough is rarely good enough when the brand is attached to it. You develop people. You make the team around you stronger.

Why This Role Is Different

Most Director of Marketing roles own one side of the brand. This one owns the ecosystem. Customers need to understand why Roadrunner is different. Owner-operators need to understand why they should run with us—and why they should stay. Employees need to understand where the company is going. Great talent needs to see Roadrunner as a place where they can build something meaningful. And the market needs to recognize that Roadrunner isn’t operating like a traditional LTL carrier. Your job is to connect those audiences through one strong brand and build the team, systems, campaigns and communications that make it happen. You will work directly with senior leadership in a lean, PE-backed organization where decisions happen quickly, ownership is rewarded and strong performers are given room to make an impact. If you want to maintain an established marketing playbook, this probably isn’t your role. If you want to build the marketing organization that defines Roadrunner’s next chapter, it is.

Compensation & Setup

Compensation: $120,000 to $150,000 per year Location: Onsite | Downers Grove, IL Benefits: Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and paid time off

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical Demands Moderate physical activity, performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to sit, reach/handle items, work with the fingers, and talk and hear others in conversations via the phone or in person. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, climb, or balance and lift objects up to 25 lbs. Work Environment The noise level is moderate based on general conversation tones, ringing phones and laser printer operation. Work in a well-lighted, heated, and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation. * The above statements reflect the general details necessary to describe the principal functions of the position and are not intended to be all inclusive. The position and any of the requirements listed above are subject to change at any time according to the changing needs of the company. * Roadrunner is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. * We will not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters or recruiting agencies. Thank you! #LI-OnsiteDowners Grove, IL

About Roadrunner

Roadrunner is for ambitious, smart people who excel at execution over talking about it, and who would rather invent the next standard in freight than accept the status quo. We are looking for the Best of the Best. Action driven leaders who want to be part of real change and help design the future of LTL in the U.S. This is a place where high performers can grow, influence outcomes, and make an impact while working directly with executives and smart people from across industries. We bring a winner mindset. We take ownership, raise the bar, and measure ourselves by results. We Run Safe. We Run Smart. We Run Together. These principles create an environment of high standards, clear ownership, and direct collaboration. We trust data over intuition, move with urgency, and hold each other accountable because winning requires it. Roadrunner exists to prove that LTL can be better than the industry has settled for. To be the best means we need to think bigger, look outside the box, and question every assumption: too many handoffs, limited visibility, and the quiet belief that “this is just how it works.” We rejected that story. We built a proprietary Smart Network™ for direct, long haul, metro to metro service that delivers fewer touches, faster transit, real time visibility, and genuine accountability. We are the most tech forward company in LTL, and we are not finished widening the gap. The foundation is already strong. Recognized as one of Built In Chicago’s Best Large Places to Work. Earning top marks for improvement, quality, and service. The real opportunity is still ahead: helping invent what comes next. If you want to be evaluated among the Best of the Best and help set the new standard in LTL, we should talk.